Meanings of 窺
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About 窺
Podcast: 窺
Podcast: 窺
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AI Study Notes for 窺
窥 (kuī) vs 观察 (guānchá) — use 窺 for secretive or stealthy observation, while 观察 implies a more open and deliberate act of watching.
Be careful not to confuse 窺 with other similar words like 看 (kàn), which simply means to look. 窺 is more informal and often implies a negative connotation of spying. Common collocations include 窺视 (kuīshì), meaning 'to spy on'.
Although 窺 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it can be related to verbs of seeing or observing, such as 看 (kàn) and 观察 (guānchá). Students should focus on the nuances of spying versus simply looking.
Learners often confuse 窺 with 看 (kàn) and use it incorrectly in formal contexts, such as saying '我想窺这本书' (I want to peep this book) instead of '我想看这本书' (I want to read this book). It's important to use 窺 only in informal, contextually appropriate situations.
Pronunciation of 窺
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Etymology of 窺
Phonosemantic compound. 穴 represents the meaning and 规 represents the sound. Simplified form of 窺.
hole
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 窺
Phonosemantic compound. 穴 represents the meaning and 规 represents the sound. Simplified form of 窺.
- 1The meaning half穴 carries the sense.
- 2The sound half規 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
- 3The giveawayhole
- 4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
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Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.Character Formation Type
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Decomposition of 窺
Identify the Components
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How to say to peep, to spy on, to watch in Chinese
“to peep, to spy on, to watch” in Chinese is窺
The character 窺 (kuī) means to peep or to spy on someone or something. It is often used in contexts where someone is secretly observing or watching, typically without the subject's knowledge. This word carries a connotation of stealth and intrusion.
When to use 窺
Be careful not to confuse 窺 with other similar words like 看 (kàn), which simply means to look. 窺 is more informal and often implies a negative connotation of spying. Common collocations include 窺视 (kuīshì), meaning 'to spy on'.
窺 or something close to it
窥 (kuī) vs 观察 (guānchá) — use 窺 for secretive or stealthy observation, while 观察 implies a more open and deliberate act of watching.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 窺 with 看 (kàn) and use it incorrectly in formal contexts, such as saying '我想窺这本书' (I want to peep this book) instead of '我想看这本书' (I want to read this book). It's important to use 窺 only in informal, contextually appropriate situations.
Write 窺
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Word Family of 窺
Compound Meaning
What does 偷窥 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 窺
No, 窺 is more informal and often used in contexts that suggest secretive or sneaky behavior.
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